Telephone message recorder



Dec. 8, 1936.

R. F. MALLJNA TELEPHONE MESSAGE RECORDER Filed Jan. 6, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l TELEPHONE LINE -INVENTOI? R. F. MALL/NA ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1936. R. F. MALLINA TELEPHONE MESSAGE RECORDER Filed Jan. 6, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a N A. R" W P ML MW 2 MM V B Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNI-TED STATES TELEPHONE MESSAGE RECORDER Rudolph F. Mallina, Little Neck, N. Y., assig'nor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 6,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to sound recording and reproducing systems and more particularly to telephone message recorders for receiving messages in the absence of a telephone subscriber.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic recorder of this type which is energized only while messages are being received.

In accordance with the general features of the invention the recording system is made operative by an incoming call, the calling party is requested to proceed with the message, the mes sage is recorded and the system then deenergized. Other incoming messages within the capacity of the record member are similarly recorded, but when the member has all been used, the system is rendered inoperative to further messages.

According to one important feature of the in vention, the amplifier used in recording and reproducing the messages is energized as soon as a call is received and during the interval in which the answering message is being delivered to the calling party, the amplifier tubes which are of the indirect heater or other slow heating type are being heated to operating temperature so that the initial portion of the incoming message is not lost. I

,A further feature of the invention is a multiple track answering record and multipled re-- producers cooperating therewith to deliver the answering message to the called party at such a level that no amplification is required.

These and other features of the invention will be more clearly, understood from the following detail specification and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general view of a system according to the invention;

Fig.2 is a plan view of the driving mecha nism;

Fig. 3 is a detail of the master control switch; and

Fig. 4 is a detail of the amplifier control on the master switch.

Referring now to the drawings, the system shown to illustrate the invention comprises (1) a magnetic telegraphone message recording unit ll driven by the main driving motor l2 and controlled by manually operable control switch I3; (2) a call answering system including a magnetic tape l4 containing an answering message and driven by the motor I2 in response to an incoming call, and (3) a relay system l5 for Q 1933, Serial No. 650,369

trolling the operation of the answering and recording systems in proper sequence.

With the exception of the telephone set It which may be used independently of the recording machine, the complete system is preferably housed in a cabinet. The motor l2 has a double shaft extension. The left-hand extension l8 has a bevel gear I 9 for driving the answering system drive shaft 20 and a worm 2| for driving the take-up reel 22. The right-hand extension 23 has a flywheel 24 for insuring a gradual reversal of direction of the magnetic tape 25, and worms 26 and 21 for driving the take-up reel 28 and the tape driving pulley 25. The reels 22 and 28 are alternately engaged by means of friction clutches 30 and 3| as will be more fully described and are coupled to their respective shafts 32, 33 merely by hearing friction so that the driving pulley 29 may feed the tape in either direction depending upon the rotation of the motor I2. 7 A flywheel 34 on the pulley shaft 35 prevents fluctuations in tape speed and assists in preventing too sudden reversals in its direction of motion. The brake drums 36 and 31 are connected with their respective reels and the shoes 38 and 39 are alternately engaged therewith to prevent the tape from unwinding from whichever reel is feeding when the machine is stopped. The tape is suitably polarized by coils 40, 40 which are energized during recording by the rectifier unit 4| of the amplifier ID. The coils 42, 42 derive their depolarizing current dur-- ing recording from the same source and both sets of coils are disposed between suitable guiding members 43 in the usual manner.

The machine may be adapted to have any desired recording capacity, but provision is preferably made for stopping the machine and giving a signal when the tape is full. This is conveniently accomplished by counting wheel I! geared through a counting shaft 45 to the motor as shown to make one complete revolution during the total recording time capacity of the machine. The shaft 45' also has a gear 46 for driving the counting device 41 which is visible from the front 45 of the cabinet and gives an indication of the total length of the messages recorded.

The operating handle 48 of the recording unit control switch l3, Fig. 3, is operable from the front of the cabinet and is mounted on a lever 49 50 by means of a pivoted arm 50. The handle has an extension member 5| slidably'mounted in an L-shaped slot 52 in the stationary framework so that amplifier contacts 53 are normally locked in the recording position as shown, but the handle 55 49 may be shifted laterally to the dotted position shown in Fig. 4 to set the switch 59 for reproducing. When this is done the crank I 2i turns the shaft I22 and the crank I23 against. the tension of restoring spring I24 and moves the rod I25 to the left to close the amplifier contacts in the alternate position.

When the subscriber is present the handle 49 is set to Telephone, the lever 49 is then in its horizontal position, the motor I2 is stopped, since the control switch 54 is unoperated, and the telephone line 56 is connected directly to the subset It so that incoming calls are received in the usual manner independently of the recording system. When the subscriber leaves he moves the handle 48 to the recording position as shown in Fig. 1. The lever 49 is locked in the position shown by pin 99 engaging detent 9| of the lever 99 so that the motor is energized over a circuit extending from the source 69, conductor 92, the series field of the motor, conductor m gmas; 99 of the switch 54, armature of conductor I1, contact 99, conductor 63%} cts of relay 9 I, back to the source 99. The' bar 94 has operated the line switch I29 so that the line 59 is directly connected to the conductors 99, 8| with which the amplifier input and the magnets 19 of the answering system are associated. Lever 49 in operating has also turned the shaft I39 to pull the rod I 3| downwardly (as viewed in Fig. 2) and cause the clutch lever I32 to turn on its pivot I33 and engage clutch 3i and the brake shoe 39 with the drum 36 preparatory to receiving the message.

The intermittent ringing current of an incoming call will then operate relay 59 to complete the circuit of the direct current relay 51 at contact 58. Relay 51 is operated by current from the rectifier 59 which is energized at all times from the alternating current source 99, and in turn operates relay 6i which starts the motor I2 and energizes the amplifier I9 over a circuit including conductors 62, 93. Since relay 59 responds only to the ringing current, direct current relay 64 is provided and connected through the choke 65 to the line so as to be operated by the line current to maintain relays 51 and Si in their operated positions.

The operation of relay 6| pulls down the bar 96 which turns the crank 61 in a clockwise direction and frees the escapement hook II1 from the crank. Bar 68 operates the counter 69 to indicate that a call has been received, clutch lever 19 is released and moves contra-clockwise into engagement with a recess H in the disc 12 which is being driven through shaft 29. A gear 13 on the shaft 14 begins to revolve thereby driving gear 15, cam 16, pinion 11 and the looped answering tap I4.

The circuit of the reproducing magnets 18 has already been completed at contact 19 so that the magnets are now connected to the line over conductors 89, 8i and the reproduced message informs the callingparty that the subscriber is absent, but that he may deliver his message to the recorder. The tape I4 preferably contains several identical answering messages recorded in parallel tracks and several corresponding sets of reproducing magnets are provided and connected in parallel so that the message is reproduced at a sufiiciently high level that no amplification is required. The tape and the train of gears driving it are so proportioned that the cam 18 makes one complete revolution while this message is being delivered and the length of the message is such that the amplifier tubes have time to reach emission temperature before the calling party can begin to deliver his message. Upon the completion of one revolution by the cam 19 the end of the crank 91 falls again into the recess 92, the detent 99 intercepts the clutch lever 19 disengaging the gear 19 from the shaft 14 and stopping the tape The switch I3 being set for recording, the incoming message currents are suitably amplified and conducted to the translating magnets 42 over a circuit including conductors 84, 95, the amplifier and conductors 99 and 91. As explained above the amplifier has already been energized by the operation of relay 9i and while the answering message was being given the cathodes I34 of tubes in the amplifier have been heating and are now at emission temperature. As the tape moves from left to right the magnets 49 erase previously recorded messages and polarize the tape to receive the incoming message being impressed on magnets 42. Since clutch 3| is engaged, the reel 29 is revolving contra-clockwise to take up the tape from the driving pulley. When the calling party hangs up the central oflice operator pulls down the connection thereby releasing relay 94 which releases relays 51 and 9| and deenergizes the system. The release of relay 9| permits spring I I9 to move the bar 99 upwardly and engage the hook II1 with the end of lever 91 preparatory to answering the next call. Subsequent calls within the limits of the recording tape will be recorded in a similar manner, each call and the recording time being registered by the counters 99 and 41. When the tape has been almost all used the pin 98 on the counting wheel 44 which is moving contra-clockwise strikes the pivoted latch lever 89 and releases the pin 99 from the detent 9| and lever 49 is forced by spring 92 back to its neutral or telephone position. This opens the motor switch, disengages clutch 3I and pulls the bar 94 to connect the line with the telephone set. A pin 95 on the wheel 44 engages the lever 99 and operates a bell or other suitable signal I" to indicate that the tape isfull. This signal may be of a visual type to advise the operator that the message is incompletely recorded or it may be adapted to impress an audible signal on the line in any of the ways known to the art.

When the subscriber returns he first moves the control switch handle 49 downwardly to the Rewind" position where it is locked by pin 99 engaging detent 91 of the latch lever 99 until the tape is fully rewound. The control switch 54 is now closed on contacts 99 and I99 thereby energizing the motor armature leads I1 and 55 in the reverse direction with respect to the series field and causing the motor I2 to drive the pulley 29 contra-clockwise. Clutch 39 is now engaged and clutch 9| disengaged by the linkages already described so that the tape is pulled from reel 29 and rewound on reel 22.

During rewind the coimting wheel 44 is turning clockwise and when the tape is fully rewound the pin 99 strikes the latch lever 99 disengaging of contacts so that the telephone set is connected directly to the line to receive incoming calls and that conductor I99 is connected to con-'- ductor I29 to complete a circuit for relay H4. 7

The operation of this relay, which has its contacts in parallel with those of relay BI completes the power supply circuit for the amplifier and motor since during rewind relay 6I is not operated.

The operator then operates the handle 48 so that the lever 49 is in the recording position and then moves the handle laterally to the dotted reproducing position (Fig. 4) thereby moving the amplifier output switch from the position shown to its alternate position so that as thetape again moves forward between the magnets 42 the reproduced message currents will traverse a circuit including conductors 86, 01, amplifier input terminals I02, I03, output terminals I04, I05, conductors I06, I01, I08 to the receiver in the subset I6. The operation of the switch 53 has already disconnected the rectifier outputterminals I09 and H from the conductors III, II2 to prevent the message from being erased by the magnets 40 before reproduction.

tact I I3 is provided on the switch 53 to complete a circuit for relay II4 from the rectifier 59, conductor II5, contact II3, conductor II6 through the relay winding to the other terminal of the rectifier. The operation of this relay connects the power source 60 to the amplifier and motor independently of the relay GI.

When the subscriber has listened to the message he again rewinds the tape and then sets the switch I3 either to Telephone or Recording as desir'ed. When set for recording or reproducing the operation of the machine may be interrupted at any time and set to Telephone or to Rewind as for example when a reproduced message is not understood. In such a case pin 90 will be held by detent 9| as shown in Fig. 2 and referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that if the handle 48 is pulled down the arm 50 will pivot against the tension of its spring H9 and the extension I20 will force the latch lever to rotate and release pin 90 so that lever 49 returns to its neutral or telephone position and stops the machine.

What is claimed is:

1. In a message recorder, a calling line, a moving record member and translating devices cooperating therewith, an amplifier, means energized over the calling line for connecting the amplifier to the devices for recording and reproducing, and a reproducing system for impressing an 1 answering message on the calling line independently of the amplifier comprising a plurality of records of an answering message, individual reproducers therefor, and means for connecting said reproducers with the calling line to engage the line while the amplifier is being conditioned for operation.

2. In a message recording system the combination with a telephone set, a telephone line normally connected to the set, a reversible moving Since relay 6| is not operated during reproduction conrecord member, a translating device cooperating therewith, and an amplifier 'having its output circuit normally connected to the translating device, of a control lever operable in one direction to move the tape and connect the line to the input circuit of the amplifier, an amplifier switch, and means associated with the lever and operable only when the lever is so operated for connecting the amplifier input to the device and the output to the telephone set.

3. In a message recording system the'combination with a telephone line, a telephone set, a message recording and reproducing unit including a tape record member, a control lever for reversing the direction of motion of the tape and for disconnecting the telephone line from the recording system and connecting it to the telephone set, of means for locking the lever in its operated position, means associated with the recording system for automatically releasing the lever from either operated position, and manually operable lever releasing means effective only when the lever is in one of its operated positions.

4. In a message recording and reproducing system the combination with a telephone set, a telephone line and a recording system including a main record member, feed and take-up reels therefor, a driving motor, individual connecting clutches for the reels, a translating device cooperating with the member, an amplifier normally deenergized, a switch controlling the input and output circuits of the amplifier, and a timing element associated with the main record member, of unitary control mechanism comprising a lever, linkages for operating the clutches, a switch for connecting the line to either the set or the amplifier input circuit controlled by the lever, means for locking the lever in alternate recording and rewinding positions, an operating handle for the lever, means operable when the lever is in the recording position for operating the amplifier switch, and means responsive to the action of the timing element for releasing reproducing system including a plurality of recordings of an answering message each having a time of reproduction at least. equal to the time required to heat the cathodes of the tubes to operative temperature, and means operated by current over the calling line for reproducing said recordings simultaneously directly into the line and for connecting the source of power to the amplifier to heat the cathodes oi the tubes to operative temperature while the line is engaged in transmitting the answering message.

RUDOLPH F. MALLINA. 

